01 Nov
Project Description
Description: Bronze, 14.9 cm highCatalogue note:The skull-cup-bearing form of tutelary deity Hevajra stands in pratyalidhasana together with his consort Nairatmya. The deities of the highest yoga tantra dance upon a double-lotus trampling the Hindu deities Brahma and Shiva in their stride. His dangling foot is met with gestures of support by Indra and Vishnu, who are rendered in a much smaller scale, seated behind the tantric deities. The eight-headed, sixteen-armed Hevajra holds skull cups or kapala holding a variety of beings in each hand, including an elephant and the earth-goddess Prithvi in his primary hands. His proper-right hands hold a variety of animals while his proper-left hold a retinue of other Hindu deities.Hevajra is the tantric manifestation of the Buddha Akshobhya. His name epitomizes the adamantine nature of Vajrayana teachings. This impressively complex and detailed gilt-bronze figure is an unmistakably Nepalese representation. Beneath its lustrous gilding is a bright copper casting, typical for craftsmanship from the Kathmandu Valley. The separately-cast base is also indicative of the artistic tradition. The plump physiques, facial features, and style of carefully-executed ornamentation are similar to a sixteenth century image of Vajravarahi, illustrated by U. von Schroeder in Indo-Tibetan Bronzes, Hong Kong, 1981, p. 379, fig. 101C. Himalayan Art Resources (himalayanart.org), item no. 24466.
Provenance: Acquired from Christie’s, Sale 17347, Lot 684, Invoice no. DB19005296. Christie's New York, 30 March 2006, lot 184
Catalogue no.: 2019A0192
